Citation

Sullivan CM, Nguyen H, Allen N, Bybee D, Juras J. J. Emot. Abuse 2001; 2(1): 51-71.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J135v02n01_05

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Examined are the interrelationships between women's experience of physical and emotional abuse, their parenting stress, quality of maternal parenting, and children's behavioral adjustment. Eighty women who had a history of recent domestic violence and their children aged 7-11 participated in the study. Mothers and their children agreed that the mothers were emotionally available to their children, and that mothers were more likely to use noncorporal punishment with their children than corporal punishment. Multivariate analysis indicated that mothers' experience of physical and emotional abuse had no direct impact on their level of parenting stress or use of discipline with their children. Rather, assailants' abuse of mothers had a direct impact on children's behavioral adjustment. The study illuminates the importance of identifying battered women's parenting strengths and asssets. Research and policy implications are discussed.